Post by HARD ROCK UNIVERSE on May 25, 2006 23:17:43 GMT -5
Joe Bonamassa
September 12, 2005
A guitarist since the tender age of 4, Joe Bonamassa's playing is the stuff legends are made of. A fact that was quite evident early
on, when at the age of twelve, none other than B.B. King exclaimed, after the New York native opened for the master : "This kid’s potential is so great that he hasn’t begun to scratch the surface. He’s one of a kind….a legend before his time." Well, after recording one album with the band Bloodline back in 1994, and releasing four critically acclaimed studio albums (including 'Had To Cry Today,' named Blueswax 2004 Album Of The Year) and the recent re-release of the blistering live set 'A New Day Yesterday-Live,' I'd say that time is now. Along with bassist Eric Czar and drummer Kenny Kramme, Bonamassa is coming up with some of the most
potent heavy blues rock to come along in years, ranking up there with the classic power trios such as Cream, Mountain and dare I say it, The Jimi Hendrix Experience in raw intensity and power. Being able to straddle both hard edged blues and classic hard rock and do it well is no easy feat, but Bonamassa does it seemingly with ease. In the studio, he's a monster; live, the 28 year old puts on a jaw dropping display of fiery rock pyrotechnics combined with a soulful, authentic blues delivery that literally needs to be experienced to be believed. Featuring strong originals such as "Miss You Hate You" and "Colour and Shape" as well as inspired interpretations of classic songs by Rory Gallagher, Jeff Beck, Free, Blind Faith, Jethro Tull and even Yes's "Heart Of The Sunrise," a Bonamassa show is truly a sight to behold and hear. Recently I had the opportunity to catch up with Joe on the road during his trek with B.B. King, a conversation which was punctuated midway by a blowout of one of the tour bus tires, a fact that didn't faze him one bit, taking it in stride like the true road warriors the band are.
Special thanks go to David Wilson at Oui2 PR and Faye Cobb from Premier Artist Services for coordinating, and a BIG thanks to Joe for doing this interview for Rock N Roll Universe!
Rock N Roll Universe : First off, how's the tour going with B.B. King?
Joe Bonamassa : It's been great, he called me out last night, and we did some playing. Fifteen years I've been doing this, and every year I'm more amazed by that guy musically, and I'm even more amazed by him as a human being. He's such a nice, down to earth, humble person. To me, it's a real honor. It's been going great, big crowds, and I think we've been doing pretty good for ourselves, it's been real good.
RNRU : How has this tour with B.B. King changed things for you?
JB : When we play shows with B.B., I mean, obviously there's people who know us, and are hopefully fans. But, the reason why I do these tours, and the reason it's been wonderful for us, is for the people that don't know who we are. That really helps. It's been really, really good, we're selling a lot of CD's, and I think people have been discovering us for the first time, which is going to pay dividends next year. I think we've really made a good impact, and it's been very, very nice.
RNRU : What have you picked up from B.B., and has he given you any advice?
JB: Just be a humble, down to earth person, always take time to shake people's hands, and be thankful for what you have. That's kind of the way I try to live my life, and it's been good.
RNRU : Have you and B.B. discussed doing any type of collaboration?
JB: I haven't talked about that with him, basically everything else though.
RNRU : Now, obviously with B.B. you're playing larger venues. Is there any difference in the way that you approach a live performance in front of larger crowds versus a club situation?
JB: Well, I get to play louder. (Laughs) Basically, our motto has always been, we've kind of set our stage production up for the bigger venues. A lot of that isn't just prepared for playing clubs. No offense to the clubs that we play, we just like to play bigger venues. So, when we play the bigger venues, we kind of feel at home on a big stage, because our production and our gear is set up for that. When we do play clubs, we kind of set up the same way, and try to get a big stage feel in a smaller room. That's kind of how we've been doing it. But yeah, it's been great doing it, last night was sold out, 7300 people, it's a big deal.
RNRU: You recently completed a tour of the U.K and Europe. How was that experience for you, and what was the response to your music over there?
JB : It was pretty awesome. I was very, very astounded at how many people knew us there. We did really, really good business. It was our first time over there,with this band and this music, and I was like "Heck, I don't even know why you guys even know us." But, they did, they were big fans over there right off the bat. So, I was really, really astounded, it was a big surprise for us.
RNRU : It seems like the blues is even bigger of a draw over there than here in the States...
JB : Well, I think it's 50/50. I think the blues is in more people's conciousness over there, as a viable chart kind of thing. Whereas here in America, record companies have kind of written the thing off as being marketable. More blues acts tour Europe, than here in the States, because of the economics, they can actually do some business, but I think Europe is a really great market. The only drawback is, we've already toured eight, nine months of the year by ourselves here in the States, now we have to go over to Europe for three or four. It's not a bad problem, but we work a bit more, which is not a problem by me.
RNRU : Speaking of that Joe, it seems like you guys are constantly on tour. What's typical day on tour like for you?
JB : Yes, we are, absolutely. (Laughs) Well, basically, now we're lucky, and blessed enough, that we've been able to draw enough people to our shows, do big enough rooms, where we can have our bus out here, afford to rent a tour bus. That really helps. Generally, if we're not driving overnight to a venue, we'll get up, and we'll start driving if we have a couple hundred miles, like we're doing today. We'll drive to the venue, set up, play, do our thing, then we'll go to the next city. It's pretty straight forward. (Laughs)
RNRU : Do you ever have a chance to actually take any time and check out the local scenes?
JB : Yeah man, if we've got like a day off. Generally, I don't tend to go out and see many bands when when I'm on tour. It's like the plumber going home to fix the pipes.(Laughs) It's that kind of theory. Generally though, you have to use the time wisely. Really make sure that you're getting the proper amount of rest, you don't want to burn the candle at six ends.
RNRU : Well, you need to save the energy for your own shows...
JB : Well that, and you just need to have energy. You're constantly just extremely tired, you need to make sure you don't get sick, the whole nine yards.
RNRU : If you could, how would you describe the most positive aspects, as well as the drawbacks of being on tour so much?
JB : The positive aspect is the amount of people you get to meet, and how nice they are. That, and the fact that I'm one of the few people in life who gets to do what he loves to do for a living. I'm just really blessed by that. I think some of the drawbacks are again, other than the behind the music cliched pitfalls of waking up in the gutter with a Jack Daniels bottle, that's not what we do anyway, but some of the pitfalls are the physical toll. Constantly being tired is NOT a healthy way to live. The reality is, it's good to have a bus, but there's not enough... a twenty four hour day is not a long enough day to get everything you've got to get done, done. You're up for eighteen of those twenty four hours, you go sleep for four, then you're up again. You do that for a couple of weeks straight, you're real tired. You do that for five MONTHS straight, and you're REAL REAL tired. It's really draining, but it's also extremely rewarding as well. It's a double edged sword, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love doing this, and I'll do this until the day I die, or until I stop loving it.
RNRU : What makes a performance successful for you?
JB : When they stand up at the end and cheer. That's pretty much it. Generally, I really like a performance where the guitars stay in tune, I sing in tune, when the band plays well, and the audience likes it. When we do the dynamic parts, and you can hear a pin drop in the place, that's when I know we've captured the audience lock stock and barrel. That for me is the litmus test to a really good performance.
RNRU : Let's go back to the beginning if you don't mind. Now you started playing guitar at the age of 4. What was the moment that you realized you wanted to become a musician? What brought you to the guitar in the first place?
JB : My dad's a guitar player, so there were always guitars around the house. Just by my dad being a guitar player, and a guitar dealer, and having so many guitars around, you can't help but notice and pick it up. I started when I was four, I started playing classical music, and became really, really good at that. Then, when I was eight, I discovered the blues, and kind of never looked back. Three years later, I started my own band, and a year later, I met B.B. King. So, it's been a whirlwind.(Laughs)
RNRU : Who were your early influences when you were starting out?
JB : Blueswise, I generally was a big fan of guys like Clapton, Roy Buchanan, B.B. obviously, Robert Johnson, who I share a birthday with, guys like that. A guy named Danny Gatton from the Washington D.C. area. Guys like that were really, really big influences on me. Hendrix, Robin Trower, Jeff Beck as well.
RNRU : What drew you to the blues initially?
JB: The power of three chords. When you're playing classical music, you have, not only three chords, but you have thirty different movements in an hour. Blues, the power of that was three chords, played soulfully, had much more of an impact on me emotionally and musically than anything I was playing on classical guitar. It was just one of those things that drew me in, and made me go "Wow, what is this?, I want to hear more." It'd make you spin the record fifty times until it wears out.
RNRU : You mention classical music. Did you take lessons for that?
JB : Yeah, I took lessons from a guy in upstate New York who used to teach at Julliard. I got a cheap guitar, and I took lessons from him, and I took a few other lessons, but I generally found that it was better if I just sat down and figured it out for myself. Just listening to records, playing along, figuring it out, that type of thing.
RNRU : Do you feel that perhaps it's better for a guitarist to do it that way?
JB : I think it's good for a guitar player to have some theory background, know what you're doing, but I also think it's good for a guitar player to know a little theory, but not too much to where it becomes mathematical. Some guys I run into, it's too much like doing Pythagoran theorum (Laughs) Like, "We're going to add this to this to this," and I'm like "Whoah, why don't we just PLAY, and see where it goes." It's that kind of thing. Too technical, and I think you lose a lot of soul, and the human quality of guitar. And, vice versa, it's good to know a few chords too, in case you are playing in a studio, and need to play some chords, you might need to read a few charts. It's good to have a little background in case the producer goes "I need it more like this," so you can have a point of reference.
RNRU : Of course, a lot of guys kind of turn things into sort of an athletic competition..
JB : Yeah, and I try not to get involved with that, because that turns stupid QUICKLY.(Laughs) It's like "Whoa, too many notes dude, let's find one GOOD one, not two hundred bad ones."(Laughs)
RNRU : Most guitarists, especially when they're first starting out, usually spend hours and hours practicing. Do you ever sit down and practice like that now, or do you not have the time for that anymore?
JB : Yeah, I still play. I play a lot when I'm home, off the road. Basically, I'll sit on my couch, watching TV, break out a Gibson L-5 or something like that and just play. When I'm home, I don't really do much, because that's kind of my time to chill out. Before you know it, you're playing for four or five hours a day, you do this for a couple of days, then you kind of discover a few new things. You go through spurts where you're discovering new stuff, then you go through spurts where you feel like you suck, and you don't know anything.(Laughs) It's just one of those kind of deals.
RNRU : The first time I ever heard you Joe was when you were with Bloodline, back in 1994. Have you ever thought about resurrecting any of those songs, and re recording them on any future albums?
JB : Not really. I used to do a few covers, stuff like that, of the Bloodline stuff, but now we've kind of blazed our own path, and I think we'll continue on where we left off with the path on the records that we've been making recently. Maybe one day, I'll never discount anything.
RNRU : Recently you worked with Ozzy Osbourne on a cover of the Buffalo Springfield song "For What It's Worth," for his 'Prince Of Darkness' box set. How did you get hooked up with Ozzy, and how was that experience for you?
JB : Well, he just called me out of the blue, and said, "You want to play on the Ozzy record?" I was like "Sure." I'd just got home from the tour, I answered the phone, and he asked me if I wanted to play on it. It was a really, really good experience. It was one of those things, to be on a record, where for all intents and purposes blues guitar players are generally not invited. (Laughs) It was a good feather in my cap. I like the way the track came out, I really, really enjoy the way it came out.
RNRU : Was there ever a time when you actually sat down with Ozzy and worked out what he wanted you to play on the track?
JB : No, I didn't even sit with him, I just sat with the producer. I just went to the studio in L.A., I was there for maybe two hours and played the whole thing.
RNRU : You've also done session work with Joe Lynn Turner on his 'Holy Man' and 'JLT' albums. How does working in a melodic metal vein compare to your own work for you?
JB : Oh, it's totally different. It's 180 degrees from what I normally do, but I enjoy playing different styles. It's better for me to guest on somebody else's record than to try and vary up what I've been doing. Our fans kind of dig what we've been doing. It's nice just to be able to go out and basically be able to play other types of music and not have any pressure to almost explain it, and justify why you did. I just do it because I like to have some fun.
RNRU : How important do you consider it to be for a musician to listen to all different types of music?
JB : I think it's very important to listen to different kinds of music, because you get a different perspective on what you're playing. It's very important to be well versed in all styles, from jazz, country, bluegrass, to blues, rock and heavy metal, hip hop, everything.
RNRU : As a songwriter, where do you get your inspiration from when you're writing a song?
JB : Oh, I basically just try to copy other people, then just put it in reverse, ya know?(Laughs) No, my inspiration usually comes from just jamming on guitar, and I'll go "Oh, I like that, I've never heard that before." The best ones are the ones you think you've heard before, but you actually haven't. They just kind of write themselves.
RNRU : One of the things that sets you apart from others in the blues, and even the rock scene is your love for British blues rock from the late 60's and early 70's. How did you get into the music of that era, and what drew you to that?
JB : I just discovered the records, you know, Jeff Beck 'Truth,' 'Free 'At Last', John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers, all that stuff... Alexis Korner. I just really, really enjoyed the British interpretation of the blues.
September 12, 2005
A guitarist since the tender age of 4, Joe Bonamassa's playing is the stuff legends are made of. A fact that was quite evident early
on, when at the age of twelve, none other than B.B. King exclaimed, after the New York native opened for the master : "This kid’s potential is so great that he hasn’t begun to scratch the surface. He’s one of a kind….a legend before his time." Well, after recording one album with the band Bloodline back in 1994, and releasing four critically acclaimed studio albums (including 'Had To Cry Today,' named Blueswax 2004 Album Of The Year) and the recent re-release of the blistering live set 'A New Day Yesterday-Live,' I'd say that time is now. Along with bassist Eric Czar and drummer Kenny Kramme, Bonamassa is coming up with some of the most
potent heavy blues rock to come along in years, ranking up there with the classic power trios such as Cream, Mountain and dare I say it, The Jimi Hendrix Experience in raw intensity and power. Being able to straddle both hard edged blues and classic hard rock and do it well is no easy feat, but Bonamassa does it seemingly with ease. In the studio, he's a monster; live, the 28 year old puts on a jaw dropping display of fiery rock pyrotechnics combined with a soulful, authentic blues delivery that literally needs to be experienced to be believed. Featuring strong originals such as "Miss You Hate You" and "Colour and Shape" as well as inspired interpretations of classic songs by Rory Gallagher, Jeff Beck, Free, Blind Faith, Jethro Tull and even Yes's "Heart Of The Sunrise," a Bonamassa show is truly a sight to behold and hear. Recently I had the opportunity to catch up with Joe on the road during his trek with B.B. King, a conversation which was punctuated midway by a blowout of one of the tour bus tires, a fact that didn't faze him one bit, taking it in stride like the true road warriors the band are.
Special thanks go to David Wilson at Oui2 PR and Faye Cobb from Premier Artist Services for coordinating, and a BIG thanks to Joe for doing this interview for Rock N Roll Universe!
Rock N Roll Universe : First off, how's the tour going with B.B. King?
Joe Bonamassa : It's been great, he called me out last night, and we did some playing. Fifteen years I've been doing this, and every year I'm more amazed by that guy musically, and I'm even more amazed by him as a human being. He's such a nice, down to earth, humble person. To me, it's a real honor. It's been going great, big crowds, and I think we've been doing pretty good for ourselves, it's been real good.
RNRU : How has this tour with B.B. King changed things for you?
JB : When we play shows with B.B., I mean, obviously there's people who know us, and are hopefully fans. But, the reason why I do these tours, and the reason it's been wonderful for us, is for the people that don't know who we are. That really helps. It's been really, really good, we're selling a lot of CD's, and I think people have been discovering us for the first time, which is going to pay dividends next year. I think we've really made a good impact, and it's been very, very nice.
RNRU : What have you picked up from B.B., and has he given you any advice?
JB: Just be a humble, down to earth person, always take time to shake people's hands, and be thankful for what you have. That's kind of the way I try to live my life, and it's been good.
RNRU : Have you and B.B. discussed doing any type of collaboration?
JB: I haven't talked about that with him, basically everything else though.
RNRU : Now, obviously with B.B. you're playing larger venues. Is there any difference in the way that you approach a live performance in front of larger crowds versus a club situation?
JB: Well, I get to play louder. (Laughs) Basically, our motto has always been, we've kind of set our stage production up for the bigger venues. A lot of that isn't just prepared for playing clubs. No offense to the clubs that we play, we just like to play bigger venues. So, when we play the bigger venues, we kind of feel at home on a big stage, because our production and our gear is set up for that. When we do play clubs, we kind of set up the same way, and try to get a big stage feel in a smaller room. That's kind of how we've been doing it. But yeah, it's been great doing it, last night was sold out, 7300 people, it's a big deal.
RNRU: You recently completed a tour of the U.K and Europe. How was that experience for you, and what was the response to your music over there?
JB : It was pretty awesome. I was very, very astounded at how many people knew us there. We did really, really good business. It was our first time over there,with this band and this music, and I was like "Heck, I don't even know why you guys even know us." But, they did, they were big fans over there right off the bat. So, I was really, really astounded, it was a big surprise for us.
RNRU : It seems like the blues is even bigger of a draw over there than here in the States...
JB : Well, I think it's 50/50. I think the blues is in more people's conciousness over there, as a viable chart kind of thing. Whereas here in America, record companies have kind of written the thing off as being marketable. More blues acts tour Europe, than here in the States, because of the economics, they can actually do some business, but I think Europe is a really great market. The only drawback is, we've already toured eight, nine months of the year by ourselves here in the States, now we have to go over to Europe for three or four. It's not a bad problem, but we work a bit more, which is not a problem by me.
RNRU : Speaking of that Joe, it seems like you guys are constantly on tour. What's typical day on tour like for you?
JB : Yes, we are, absolutely. (Laughs) Well, basically, now we're lucky, and blessed enough, that we've been able to draw enough people to our shows, do big enough rooms, where we can have our bus out here, afford to rent a tour bus. That really helps. Generally, if we're not driving overnight to a venue, we'll get up, and we'll start driving if we have a couple hundred miles, like we're doing today. We'll drive to the venue, set up, play, do our thing, then we'll go to the next city. It's pretty straight forward. (Laughs)
RNRU : Do you ever have a chance to actually take any time and check out the local scenes?
JB : Yeah man, if we've got like a day off. Generally, I don't tend to go out and see many bands when when I'm on tour. It's like the plumber going home to fix the pipes.(Laughs) It's that kind of theory. Generally though, you have to use the time wisely. Really make sure that you're getting the proper amount of rest, you don't want to burn the candle at six ends.
RNRU : Well, you need to save the energy for your own shows...
JB : Well that, and you just need to have energy. You're constantly just extremely tired, you need to make sure you don't get sick, the whole nine yards.
RNRU : If you could, how would you describe the most positive aspects, as well as the drawbacks of being on tour so much?
JB : The positive aspect is the amount of people you get to meet, and how nice they are. That, and the fact that I'm one of the few people in life who gets to do what he loves to do for a living. I'm just really blessed by that. I think some of the drawbacks are again, other than the behind the music cliched pitfalls of waking up in the gutter with a Jack Daniels bottle, that's not what we do anyway, but some of the pitfalls are the physical toll. Constantly being tired is NOT a healthy way to live. The reality is, it's good to have a bus, but there's not enough... a twenty four hour day is not a long enough day to get everything you've got to get done, done. You're up for eighteen of those twenty four hours, you go sleep for four, then you're up again. You do that for a couple of weeks straight, you're real tired. You do that for five MONTHS straight, and you're REAL REAL tired. It's really draining, but it's also extremely rewarding as well. It's a double edged sword, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love doing this, and I'll do this until the day I die, or until I stop loving it.
RNRU : What makes a performance successful for you?
JB : When they stand up at the end and cheer. That's pretty much it. Generally, I really like a performance where the guitars stay in tune, I sing in tune, when the band plays well, and the audience likes it. When we do the dynamic parts, and you can hear a pin drop in the place, that's when I know we've captured the audience lock stock and barrel. That for me is the litmus test to a really good performance.
RNRU : Let's go back to the beginning if you don't mind. Now you started playing guitar at the age of 4. What was the moment that you realized you wanted to become a musician? What brought you to the guitar in the first place?
JB : My dad's a guitar player, so there were always guitars around the house. Just by my dad being a guitar player, and a guitar dealer, and having so many guitars around, you can't help but notice and pick it up. I started when I was four, I started playing classical music, and became really, really good at that. Then, when I was eight, I discovered the blues, and kind of never looked back. Three years later, I started my own band, and a year later, I met B.B. King. So, it's been a whirlwind.(Laughs)
RNRU : Who were your early influences when you were starting out?
JB : Blueswise, I generally was a big fan of guys like Clapton, Roy Buchanan, B.B. obviously, Robert Johnson, who I share a birthday with, guys like that. A guy named Danny Gatton from the Washington D.C. area. Guys like that were really, really big influences on me. Hendrix, Robin Trower, Jeff Beck as well.
RNRU : What drew you to the blues initially?
JB: The power of three chords. When you're playing classical music, you have, not only three chords, but you have thirty different movements in an hour. Blues, the power of that was three chords, played soulfully, had much more of an impact on me emotionally and musically than anything I was playing on classical guitar. It was just one of those things that drew me in, and made me go "Wow, what is this?, I want to hear more." It'd make you spin the record fifty times until it wears out.
RNRU : You mention classical music. Did you take lessons for that?
JB : Yeah, I took lessons from a guy in upstate New York who used to teach at Julliard. I got a cheap guitar, and I took lessons from him, and I took a few other lessons, but I generally found that it was better if I just sat down and figured it out for myself. Just listening to records, playing along, figuring it out, that type of thing.
RNRU : Do you feel that perhaps it's better for a guitarist to do it that way?
JB : I think it's good for a guitar player to have some theory background, know what you're doing, but I also think it's good for a guitar player to know a little theory, but not too much to where it becomes mathematical. Some guys I run into, it's too much like doing Pythagoran theorum (Laughs) Like, "We're going to add this to this to this," and I'm like "Whoah, why don't we just PLAY, and see where it goes." It's that kind of thing. Too technical, and I think you lose a lot of soul, and the human quality of guitar. And, vice versa, it's good to know a few chords too, in case you are playing in a studio, and need to play some chords, you might need to read a few charts. It's good to have a little background in case the producer goes "I need it more like this," so you can have a point of reference.
RNRU : Of course, a lot of guys kind of turn things into sort of an athletic competition..
JB : Yeah, and I try not to get involved with that, because that turns stupid QUICKLY.(Laughs) It's like "Whoa, too many notes dude, let's find one GOOD one, not two hundred bad ones."(Laughs)
RNRU : Most guitarists, especially when they're first starting out, usually spend hours and hours practicing. Do you ever sit down and practice like that now, or do you not have the time for that anymore?
JB : Yeah, I still play. I play a lot when I'm home, off the road. Basically, I'll sit on my couch, watching TV, break out a Gibson L-5 or something like that and just play. When I'm home, I don't really do much, because that's kind of my time to chill out. Before you know it, you're playing for four or five hours a day, you do this for a couple of days, then you kind of discover a few new things. You go through spurts where you're discovering new stuff, then you go through spurts where you feel like you suck, and you don't know anything.(Laughs) It's just one of those kind of deals.
RNRU : The first time I ever heard you Joe was when you were with Bloodline, back in 1994. Have you ever thought about resurrecting any of those songs, and re recording them on any future albums?
JB : Not really. I used to do a few covers, stuff like that, of the Bloodline stuff, but now we've kind of blazed our own path, and I think we'll continue on where we left off with the path on the records that we've been making recently. Maybe one day, I'll never discount anything.
RNRU : Recently you worked with Ozzy Osbourne on a cover of the Buffalo Springfield song "For What It's Worth," for his 'Prince Of Darkness' box set. How did you get hooked up with Ozzy, and how was that experience for you?
JB : Well, he just called me out of the blue, and said, "You want to play on the Ozzy record?" I was like "Sure." I'd just got home from the tour, I answered the phone, and he asked me if I wanted to play on it. It was a really, really good experience. It was one of those things, to be on a record, where for all intents and purposes blues guitar players are generally not invited. (Laughs) It was a good feather in my cap. I like the way the track came out, I really, really enjoy the way it came out.
RNRU : Was there ever a time when you actually sat down with Ozzy and worked out what he wanted you to play on the track?
JB : No, I didn't even sit with him, I just sat with the producer. I just went to the studio in L.A., I was there for maybe two hours and played the whole thing.
RNRU : You've also done session work with Joe Lynn Turner on his 'Holy Man' and 'JLT' albums. How does working in a melodic metal vein compare to your own work for you?
JB : Oh, it's totally different. It's 180 degrees from what I normally do, but I enjoy playing different styles. It's better for me to guest on somebody else's record than to try and vary up what I've been doing. Our fans kind of dig what we've been doing. It's nice just to be able to go out and basically be able to play other types of music and not have any pressure to almost explain it, and justify why you did. I just do it because I like to have some fun.
RNRU : How important do you consider it to be for a musician to listen to all different types of music?
JB : I think it's very important to listen to different kinds of music, because you get a different perspective on what you're playing. It's very important to be well versed in all styles, from jazz, country, bluegrass, to blues, rock and heavy metal, hip hop, everything.
RNRU : As a songwriter, where do you get your inspiration from when you're writing a song?
JB : Oh, I basically just try to copy other people, then just put it in reverse, ya know?(Laughs) No, my inspiration usually comes from just jamming on guitar, and I'll go "Oh, I like that, I've never heard that before." The best ones are the ones you think you've heard before, but you actually haven't. They just kind of write themselves.
RNRU : One of the things that sets you apart from others in the blues, and even the rock scene is your love for British blues rock from the late 60's and early 70's. How did you get into the music of that era, and what drew you to that?
JB : I just discovered the records, you know, Jeff Beck 'Truth,' 'Free 'At Last', John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers, all that stuff... Alexis Korner. I just really, really enjoyed the British interpretation of the blues.